Jim Harbaugh takes some heat in San Francisco

Jim Harbaugh is very likely to win NFL Coach of the Year when the league announces its awards on Super Bowl eve. He deserves the award.

That doesn’t mean Harbaugh is above a little criticism in San Francisco for how he’s handled the aftermath of the 49ers loss Sunday.

Harbaugh’s invocation of the tuck rule was the most headline-worthy moment from his media session Monday, but we wanted to mention an odd exchange that ended the press conference. Harbaugh was asked how he spent his time after the game. Harbaugh giggled.

“Is it just California that everybody just wants to know how you feel? Care about what you thought, what you did, how you felt, how your pinky feels. Is that just a California thing? Back where I come from, nobody really cares.”

As Lowell Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press Democratdescribes it, a reporter reminded Harbaugh of all the time the coach has spent in California. Cohn asked if Harbaugh wanted to answer the question.

“You demand an answer to the question?” Harbaugh said.

“I’m requesting,” Cohn replied. “I would never demand from you. Share with us what you did last night if you feel comfortable doing it.”

“I don’t. I don’t feel comfortable,” Harbaugh said.

“Is that a California thing?” Cohn asked.

“It’s a Midwestern thing,” Harbaugh responded before leaving the room to enter the offseason.

We don’t relay this transcript as breaking news, just an interesting look at the man who leads the 49ers. We admit to enjoying Harbaugh’s feistiness; he keeps things interesting.

Cohn’s theory is that deep down, Harbaugh is an 11-year-old. Cohn tries to paint concept that in a somewhat positive light, but that’s tough to pull off. The writer connects Harbaugh’s lack of introspection to his inability to be self-critical.

“Nothing about the loss to the Giants was Harbaugh’s fault. He and his coaches did just fine,” the column finishes.

The honeymoon isn’t over for Harbaugh in San Francisco. But a column like this indicates there will be some fireworks in the years to come between Harbaugh and the local media.

162 responses to “Jim Harbaugh takes some heat in San Francisco”

He’s a jerk. Plain and simple. Quite frankly I don’t understand what it is that PFT loves so much about him. There’s no doubt that he’s the coach of the year but there’s a huge difference between being a good coach and a good human being and he is not the latter.

Anyone who reads Lowell Cohn daily and follows all his questions at the press conferences over the years realizes Cohn is a mean spirited, flawed human being with Uber Ego issues. He goes beyond fair and balanced reporting by making himself the center of attention with aggressive posturing and entitlement. He is not worth the read. I agree with Greg Rosenthal here that the Harbaugh/Cohn relation this year has become so poor that any writing by Cohn will result on blatant vitriol. THe Santa Rosa Press Democrat should reassign Lowell to the Raiders as he has become totally ineffective at covering the Niners without emotion and personal agenda.

Cohn has repeatedly tried to get Harbaugh to lay down on the therapist couch throughout the year and Harbaugh has yet to oblige. So after swinging and missing on his last opportunity of the year Cohn vented his displeasure. That’s the extent of the local heat.

I’m glad it’s a Harbaugh free Superbowl. I have never seen 2 coaches that are grown men whine and cry as much as those 2 on the sidelines. Act like men. You’ll never catch Superbowl winning coaches like BB, Payton, McCarthy, Tomlin act like crying babies on the sideline.

Actually, as a Giants fan, I was incredibly grateful that he gave up trying to throw the swing pass to Gore in the flat. That play could have killed NY. If I was the coach, I would have ran that until the Giants could prove they could stop it. I find it hard to believe that if SF ran that play four or five times more in the game, that they would not have gotten at least a field goal out of it. When you’re getting killed on third down, you might want to try the plays that worked early one more time. What’s the worse that could happen? You could go 1 for 13? Oh, wait….

Lowell Cohn is an idiot and Eric Branch of the SF Chronicle, who asked the stupid question, is not far behind. What idiot asks a coach what he did the night after losing the NFC Championship game in OT is a moron in my opinion. W

So Harbaugh’s alittle testy after a playoff loss? Who cares? Give me a break. Frankly, it would be bigger news if Harbaugh was in a happy and cheerful mood after such a tough loss. This guy is the best coach San Fran has had in years.

Yes, Jim Harbaugh should be the Coach of the Year (and I’m a Giants fan). What he’s done with the 49ers is instill a winning feeling, winning attitute and winning program. However, the way he acted after the NFC Championship bordered on classless and immature. He barely acknowledged Tom Coughlin and then totally rejected the FOX interview. At the NFL network interview, he sulked as any under-10 yr old child would when having something taken away or, after losing a board game. It shows a character flaw that in the future could haunt him. Earlier in the season, his actions after defeating the Lions gave us a peek into that flaw and now, after this loss, we see it full-blown. He’ll need to grow up to earn respect in this league or, as Jerry Glanville once said: “The NFL stands for NOT-FOR-LONG” when you act in that manner.

How do you plan to stop the Giants?
Well, here is the game plan…. read it and give me some contructive criticism.
most reporters are frustrated jocks and will do anything to try and embarass a player or coach. Just part of the new “journalism.”

San Fran was a disaster until Harbaugh arrived. I know his act might be tough to take, but you can’t dispute the fact that the guy took the same team Singletary had and got to the NFC championship game.

So he makes a comment about California. Bottom line if he wins a Super Bowl he can call every Northern Californian a Dirty Hippy Pothead and he will still be revered.

Do I need to say more? Alex frickin Smith is his quarterback. Having an above .500 record with that guy is a miracle in itself.

When Harbaugh gets a QB and a decent deep threat this will be a team that wins NFC championship games.

It’s so cute how media members stick up for each other. Jim Harbaugh has the keys to the city after this season after a magnificant turnaround, but an irrelevant journalist gets his feelings hurt, and this means “the honeymoon is far from over for Harbaugh”? L-O-L.

Live in Dallas. THe Cowboys have the intellectual, Princeton, introspective coach with the cool, calm demeanor here. Look what that’s gotten them. Most of these reporters are complete morons and baiters. I love Harbaugh’s attitude and you can’t get around what that attitude and his coaching team accomplished this year. Lowell Cohn needs to switch to the Cooking section – forever!

Jim Harbaugh needs to grow up. You need look no further than those postgame handshakes. This past Sunday’s was another “classic Jim” moment. He doesn’t handle winning or losing with class. Watch your brother John and learn, Jim.

megatronownsyou says:
Jan 24, 2012 10:30 AM
He’s a jerk. Plain and simple. Quite frankly I don’t understand what it is that PFT loves so much about him. There’s no doubt that he’s the coach of the year but there’s a huge difference between being a good coach and a good human being and he is not the latter.

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Listen to the audio and get a clue. The two were joking about it and this is PFT spin.

Jim Harbaugh has successfully “changed the culture” in San Francisco, and has led a turnaround no one saw coming, and he deserves all the credit in the world for that.

But to those of us who are not 49ers fans (which also apparently includes about half of the people who go to their games at Candlestick) he is a whiner. My dad is from Wisconsin and hadn’t watched a 49ers game all year until the playoffs, and he texts me during the game something along the lines of Harbaugh’s enthusiasm is great and everything but he comes off as a whiner. Perception is reality Jim. And if you’re going to complain about the refs after the biggest game of your life (as a coach) after your team DID NOT CONVERT A THIRD DOWN you probably need to shut up and just answer the reporter’s questions.

Just wait until next year when the 49ers go 8-8 (look at the Jets or Bears, last years Championsip game losers, it’s very possible). We’ll see how popular his jerk attitude plays in the Bay Area then.

Remember when everyone was calling Schwartz the jerk after the Lions/49ers games. You have never heard anything from another coach/media about Shwartz being a jerk, but you’re constantly hearing it about Harbaugh. He needs to take some lessons from his brother and act with some class.

so what… hes competitive. he wants to win badly. and he gets upset when he loses. we all do this if we are competitive. love him or hate him hes a darn good coach. and im glad hes a coach of my niners. great job this year. hold that grudge jim. never let it go. and dont let the team let it go until we get our sixth trophy. this team is so good because its so hungry. alex smith with no wide receivers to the nfc championship. darn good job. forget these critics.

Who cares what people think! I personally like it! He hates answering dumb questions and people like Lowell keep asking them! Harbaugh was disgusted by the loss plain an simple! Bradshaw’s fumble was absolutely ridiculous. It’s stuff like that that makes me wonder if games are fixed by officials! I mean what else would the NFL want for ratings other than a giants and patriots rematch!!!

Oh, Jamie Chapman, you wiley Dittohead. Of course California is fruit and nutty! That’s what Rush says, and everyone outside of California– from the folks who wish California would fall into the ocean, to the folks who want to come to California for all the gold in them thar hills and all that Hollywood movie magic– know it to be true!

I like to generalize, too, Jamie Chapman, Twitter fanatic. Ain’t nothing like living a life with a 180 character limit! Keeps me thinking as profound as a bumper sticker.

But back to the topic of California and all those whacko liberals. Seeing as Ronnie Raygun and Ahnolt Schwartzenburger became governors and all….

Go fish, Jamie.

(Not from SF, but born in LA, which means we steal water from those people and they hate us for it. Y’know, generally speaking.)

Harbaugh is like an onion rotting from the core. Keep peeling layers back the worse he gets. His team has taken the motto of “monkey see monkey do”. Mr. harbaugh the Dr. will see you now. Lye down on the couch Jim.

Mark my words, this will end ugly in SF when things go wrong and he wears out his welcome when everything doesn’t go right (as it has for SDSU, Stanford, 49ers). Once 99% of things don’t go right, it’s gonna get really ugly. You watch in 3-4 years.

As a Bay Are resident I will say Lowell Cohn and his son have turned the Press Democrat into a joke since Matt Maiocco’s departure…These guy write crap articles.

Jim Harbaugh turned a beleaguered franchise into a Super Bowl contender in 1 year. He has give the 49ers an identity that they’ve lacked since the departure of Bill Walsh. He’s changed the money first attitude of potential Niner free agents where they now consider keeping the team together rather than getting a pay day.

Truth be told…screw the media. I like Harbaughs attitude because its still more than these journalists deserve. I’m proud of Jim, the 49ers, Jed York and the 49ers Faithful. We are a team on the rise and now everyone has to acknowledge that.

The question was certainly innocuous enough, “How did you spend your time after the game? What did you do last night?”
That Cohn appears to have a reputation may explain harbaugh’s reaction, who must be taking it personally?

But then, he stepped right in it, giving Cohn what he wants, evidently.

Really, the best thing for modern coaches to do is study BB’s answers.
No comment.
I am not going to comment on that.
I have nothing to say about that.

Not too difficult.
The worst thing to do is react negatively, or create an adversarial relationship with the press.
Not smart.
The next thing that will happen is players will be asked to respond to Coaches words, and it spirals.

The worst offender is Ryan and the Jets for this right now, and it just yields chaos.

Who cares what people think! I personally like it! He hates answering dumb questions and people like Lowell keep asking them! Harbaugh was disgusted by the loss plain an simple! Bradshaw’s fumble was absolutely ridiculous. It’s stuff like that that makes me wonder if games are fixed by officials! I mean what else would the NFL want for ratings other than a giants and patriots rematch!!!
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This guy was a crybaby whinner as an average QB in the NFL. Never won anything. So why him being a head coach should be any different? When it doesn’t go his way he takes his ball and goes home. And he is a rookie HC, so those little mistakes turned out to be big in the loss.

As many here have already noted, you really need to be familiar with Lowell Cohn and his own narcissism. This is the guy who needs to know he’s gotten into the head of the interviewee — he hounded Singletary, now he hounds Harbaugh, like the voice of the ordinary man or something. In northern California, we know to ignore him.

There will always be critics and haters. Coach has made it clear that his private life and personal feelings are exactly that. Private and personal. The local media is just going to have to accept that. And if the team is winning, who really cares? A couple of random reporters?

His silence is the tradeoff for fielding a winning football team. Deal with it. Belichick doesn’t give it up, so why should Harbaugh have to?

Leave the guy alone and let him do what he does. Field winning football teams. And whether he does that as an 11 year old or as an adult, or a combination of both, his methods are successful. He is what he is.

took alex smith in a lockout year with no off-season and a sorry 49ers team (before, they are awesome now) to the brink of a superbowl in his 1st season as an NFL head coach.

it begins and ends there.

I dont know how MANY other teams fans would sacrifice body limbs to have THIS MAN as head coach.

SERIOUSLY.
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Harbaugh had a good year and is deserving of COTY but let’s not make assumptions based on one season. As I recall, Eric Mangini was a coach of the year candidate his first year with the Jets. Jim Haslett won coach of the year with the Saints in 2000 only to miss the playoffs for 5 straight years before being fired. The list goes on but I digress….

So the lesson here is that Harbaugh does not suffer fools well at all . . . and as a Niner fan I’ll readily admit that he’s’ a red ass . . . and like him could not care less what the rest of the NFL fan base thinks about him or the 49ers. To quote the coach, “If the success of the San Francisco 49ers offends you, so be it.” New coach, new culture and coming soon, new stadium. The future looks bright!!!

He takes an otherwise innocuous exchange and turining it into something it wasn’t. Unless Harbaugh gives him what he wants, he twists his words and exchanges with the press. Who’s really the 11-year old?

I don’t really think a tiff with a reporter is too big a deal but not giving more credit to Coughlin and the Giants and not showing more grace and class after the loss is telling. Everyone wanted to blame the whole Schwartz vs. Harbaugh thing on Schwartz, now it appears that Harbaugh can’t win or lose with class. The fact is he started trying to stall in the 3rd quarter and it backfired on him. I blame Harbaugh for the loss, not Kyle Williams. BTW I am a bay area resident and 49ers fan.

It is a stupid question. How as a fan do I care how Harbaugh spent his time after the game? I don’t!! Why don’t you use the time you have with the coach and ask him a question about the game like why you stopped running Frank Gore in the 2nd half, or why was Anthony Dixon in the game on 3rd and 1 instead of Gore or why did you leave Williams in the game as a punt returner when you could see his head wasn’t in the game. But instead you ask how he spent his time after the game. And these people call themselves reporters.

“Harbaugh was disgusted by the loss plain an simple! Bradshaw’s fumble was absolutely ridiculous. It’s stuff like that that makes me wonder if games are fixed by officials!”

Actually, it wasn’t a fumble. The runner was wrapped up by two defenders. He was stopped, then was pushed backward. To prevent an injury, the referee blew the whistle. That’s his job. It was the correct call. It happens in every game, multiple times! It’s called forward progress. GET OVER IT!

He is a jerk – always has been. every time Fox showed him Sunday he was crying to the officials like the baby he is. His handshake with Coughlin showed what a classless turd he is. Harbaugh is a a baby. He comes from Michigan where he played under cybaby and cheater in Bo Schembechler! Kleenex should sponsors the Niners.

I’ll take a coach who wins games and gets his players to play hard for him over a soft-spoken idiot who does everything to please the media by answering stupid, non-important questions. Know who else doesn’t answer stupid questions? Bill Belichick.

Go ahead SF fans, run JH out of town. There are 31 other franchises ready to snatch him up. You can always go back to Dennis Erickson..

Lowell Cohn wrote for the SF Chronicle for years, so I know his writing pretty well. The guy is a jerk, plain and simple. He’s a columnist, not a reporter, and his shtick is to incite and annoy, and always has been.

I’m sure anyone who knows this and has to answer his questions will already be a little jaded in their answers. I’m sure Harbaugh knew the minute Cohn opened his mouth that it would be some stupid question, and it was.

Hate on Harbaugh all you want. I’m proud to have him as our Head Coach. Surely it’s everyones opinion. But at the end of the day, Niners will be playing football around this time of the year for years to come!

I doubt harbaugh cares about what you all and the media think of him. He is a football guy, call him a jerk or what you like, He is a hell of a coach.. he took a 6-10 team to the NFC championship game which he barely lost and thats all i care about. You all can keep hating and calling him a jerk.. not the players, not us niner fan, and most importantly not him care about what you all think.

I hate the 49’s — but to call Harbaugh an 11 year old is just sour grapes by a writer. All Harbaugh has done is win at one of the smallest college programs in the country. Win at one of the more elite academic programs in the country (can anyone say the same for Duke or Vanderbilt). And win at an NFL program that has had well over a decade of crappy football to its credit. In one year! Yeah – if that isn’t enough for the fine folks in Frisco, send him to Dallas. Even if he is a tool, we sure as all-get-out would love to have him instead of the red robot.

He’s the new Rex Ryan. An outspoken guy the media puts up with because he wins. If he has a bad year, look out. He’ll be condemned.
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HAHA what a moron.. rex ryan to jim harbaugh? haha, yup.. you’ll see harbaugh shooting pepsi commercial next right? if you had said.. Jim Harbuagh is like Bellicheck then i wouldve consider it..

Makes me think back to Bill Parcells answers to the dumb questions posed by the media in NYC and Boston. They would walk on eggshells around him because of the way he put them down. “That’s a dumb ass question” he would say or “Why don’t you tell us as you seem to know everything.” It was great.

gmenhq says:
Jan 24, 2012 10:33 AM
so Harbaugh leaving his mistake prone returner in the game isn’t his fault?
– He was down to his 2nd string returner, there wasn’t a likely better option coming into the game.

choosing to defend the wrong end of the field in overtime? not utilizing the wind correctly?
– They did choose the better side to defend. Which is why the Giants kept running the ball to get as close as possible rather than deciding to kick it immediately.
no?
– Yes!

Mother F. The guy and his team crank out a 13 win season and you’re talking about fireworks between Harbaugh and the media? The exchange with Cohn and Cohn’s subsequent remark is a porter reflection on Cohn than Harbaugh.

This particular Harbaugh has indeed enjoyed a meteoric rise to NFL head coaching prominence. But this reaction to a benign question, coupled with his many quick and non-caring handshakes (in both victory and defeat) prove he is indeed a still a rookie coach. He clearly has motivational skill and an eye for football talent, but he has a ways to go in understanding how to properly interact with both his peers and the media. He seems to have a nice career in front of him but he’s still in the beginning. Before laying napalm to one coaching relationship bridge after another, he should look around and take notice at how many former head coaches are either assistance or unemployed altogether.

As much as everyone wants to pat Jim on the back for being such a great coach I just can’t do it yet. We’ve seen lots of coaches have initial success and turn teams around in one year only to then fail. He walked into a great defense in SF. How will this guy react if his team is struggling to win? Next year will be interesting.

If the media really wants to point a serious finger at Harbaugh, they are going about it the wrong way.

The Niners got a total of three yards from their WR corps on Sunday. They were very thin at the position due to Braylon “Headcase” Edwards being released, and the injury to Ted Ginn.

However, also missing was Josh Morgan. Morgan was out because he was put on IR after breaking his ankle against the Bucs.

The play he got hurt on was a pass play on 4th and 3 from the Buc 20, with five minutes to go. At the time, the Niners were leading by 38 points, 41-3.

So the coach gets his #2 WR hurt going for it on fourth down during garbage time. Three months later, his WR corps is so thin they only get three yards of production in the NFC Championship Game, and lose.

Not sure Belichick or Parcells would have handled it differently – Boston has its fair share of self-important, media losers and the city has tuned them out – Shaunessy at the top.

On the taking out your uncertain punt return guy, fyi – Belichick had his most explosive RB inactive bc he fumbled in 2 consec games – Ridley – Harbaugh will learn – not that it helped us win the TO battle

His post game interview was just as prolific. This is a head coach and he answers like a three year old. Has no problem getting all over officials or questioning the forward progree rule but lame on a direct question.

I love the fact that Harbaugh pisses off the opposing fans. He’s with the 49ers to win, not make friends with you or the silly reporters. Also, before you geniuses try and read into the pinky comment, Cohn asked about Harbaugh’s pinky a few weeks ago. Don’t talk out of your @ss.

We watch a sport that is emotional and violent. Then some of you criticize players & coaches for being emotional and upset after wards? If you’re offended by such displays you need to find something else to occupy your time.

Give Harbaugh a break. He now has a lot of time to realize just how lucky he was. His team has a good defense, not a great one, and his offense is offensive. After a 13-3 season, in an extremely lame division, he was so lucky to be a playoff contender, he should go to Vegas.
Harbaugh has a bad attitude, and as time goes on, it will be reflected in his players. That bad vibe, negativity, rubs off. Harbaugh won’t be around long, and it will be his pathetic attitude, not his ability, that will doom him.
I’d wish him luck, but he’s had too much already.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he is coaching college football in 3 years.

9ers fans just be happy he doesnt have to deal with NY Media if that question got to him…

I think it’s a great question, I dont think anyone would actually answer it but it’d be interesting to know. More interesting then complaining about bad calls that cost you the game rather then the great play #57 made by stripping the ball from #10.(Williams on Williams crime)

What is so hard to understand, forward progress was stopped the whistle was blown, NO FUMBLE! Harbaugh and the rest of that crappy squad should grow up and get over it. You lost to a better team period!

Actually the pinky remark was in reference to Cohen asking about it in a press conference about a week ago – it’s out of wack from getting bent back during Harbaugh’s playing days. Lowell wanted to know about it too. Generally he likes to bring up personal interest topics and Harbaugh wants to stick to the 49er football team. This entire article, thread and the comments are much to do about nothing.

Coughlin would get my vote (if I had one). Old mans seat was HOT (thanks to NYC media) and battled his way through. Remember the “dream team” and the “big brother jets”?? The G-Men were getting no respect. Coughlin earned some more of it.

Jim Harbaugh did an unbelievable job with the 49ers and deserves the Coach of the Year Award but he needs to develop some social skills and grow up. If you look at some of his behavior this year like slapping Schwartz in the back, not acknowledging Coughlin after Sunday’s lost and whining about a call during his press conference he comes across as a jerk.

Mark my words, this will end ugly in SF when things go wrong and he wears out his welcome when everything doesn’t go right (as it has for SDSU, Stanford, 49ers). Once 99% of things don’t go right, it’s gonna get really ugly. You watch in 3-4 years.

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You are funny. Here are some facts to help you out. He coached at the University of San Diego not San Diego State. He developed an NFL QB there at the small non DI school. At Stanford, it went so bad that he developed the #1 pick in this year’s draft, turned a horrible program into a team who went to two consecutive BCS bowls, and parlayed this into an NFL job where he turned a 6-10 team into a 13-3 team and a trip to OT in the NFC Championship.

Just FYI: Lowell Cohn is a real JERK of a reporter who has no real journalistic agenda anymore and his only goal with the Niners is not to report anything other than to do whatever he can to get u der Harbaugh’s skin. All his articles consist of are just ranting and whining at how Jim H doesn’t want to answer questions and how JH is a jerk and wa wa wa. JH took a team that was 6-10 and a QB whose career was all but done in SF and revitalized an organization overnight. WHO CARES if he doesn’t want to tell you what he did to cope with the loss?? Ask him about the FA’s. About draft plan, about something meaningful! He’s no different than any other coach. No coach divulges info freely. It’s a protocol. All coaches answers are the same JH is no different, except that he’s already among the best head coaches in the league!
LOWELL: time for you to retire and let your son do the real journalistic work in the fam!
GO NINERS 2012!!

Jim Harbuagh is like Bellicheck then i wouldve consider it..
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wow no. Belichick is the polar opposite of Jim “Where’s my Ritalin” Harbaugh. A comparison to Rex is perfect. Big mouth, never shuts up. Chokes in title game. West Rex for sure.
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That shows how much you have no idea what you’re talking about. If anything, Harbaugh says too little and that’s what drives the Media crazy. Stop talking out of your ass dude.

Jim Harbaugh needs to grow up. You need look no further than those postgame handshakes. This past Sunday’s was another “classic Jim” moment. He doesn’t handle winning or losing with class. Watch your brother John and learn, Jim.
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I noticed his unprofessional after-the-game handshake, as well. Harbaugh didn’t acknowledge Coughlin. He barely extended his hand for a shake, refused to even look Coughlin in the eye, and ran away while Coughlin was trying to offer Harbaugh what I imagine were words of praise for such a good season.

Harbaugh is a good football coach, but he doesn’t set an example of professionalism, maturity, or class.

All the folks hating on Harbaugh would be singing a different tune if he was coaching their team.
Jealousy is a strong passion and if they cant have him, they’d rather denigrate him.
Too bad folks – he coaches for the 49ers. Get over it.

It’s interesting how many people complain about how the NFL is being “softened” by measures to prevent catastrophic injury to players, yet so many people also seem to complain about a coach being a “jerk” just for having a forceful personality and strong opinions about things.

This guys’ not hurting anyone, and is confidently doing his job at a high level. Where does the anger and bitterness of a lot of commenters here come from?

I am amazed that this guy is so polarizing or that the Niners have so many haters. It is a good sign for a team when, after nearly a decade of insignificance, people come out of the woodwork to say how much they hate you and your coach. If you are a Lions, Saints, Cards, Seahawks or Rams fan I can see it. Otherwise I am confused…he is certainly an energetic, excitable guy, but he in no way resembles the blustering, blabbering coach for the Jets.

The guy just lost the biggest game of his life. How about a thumbs up if you think the question itself is asinine and childish. He a tornado just destroyed your house—how do you feel? Really? You must be 5 if you don’t already know the answer. Sheesh.

If HarBAWL was the coach of my team, I also would be criticizing him for the way he snubbed coughlin for the post-game handshake. I don’t care if you are upset, you are the coach. Be a man about it. You can always cry in private, which I am sure HarBAWL did.

Coughlin would get my vote (if I had one). Old mans seat was HOT (thanks to NYC media) and battled his way through. Remember the “dream team” and the “big brother jets”?? The G-Men were getting no respect. Coughlin earned some more of it.
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Sorry, but no, Coughlin should not get any votes since it was based on the regular season. Would you have voted for him on January 2, 2012, the day after the regular season? Probably not.

That begs the question: Should the awards include the post season? If they did, then yes, Coughlin could, and should then get some votes.

Give the guy a break. Cohn is one of the biggest tools in all of sports journalism. His son is prettyy good though. Every week Lowell asks stupid questions like what did you do when you left headquarters? How long were you there? What did you do after? Did you watch the film? Did you eat? What dis you have? How long did it take you to eat? I mean seriously i can see why harbaugh would be annoyed after hearing this 18 times and i’m surprised he doesn’t ask what time he has a bowell movement

Are you kidding me? Lowell fricking Cohn. You would not have even read his latest manifesto if you read another one by him, one is enough because they are all the same. The dude’s claim to fame is once interviewing Bill Walsh. He pits himself against every coach the 49ers have had since Bill. Please google-youtube him and you will see a pathetic whiney old man with very little intellect and less football knowledge that is trying not to get fired as a columnist of (believe it or not) the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. He continues to use his press credential platform to give him the ability to psychoanalyze and feel the power of being if not superior than equal to a NFL head coach.
Lowell you are not a Doctor get your crayons out and continue scribbling

It’s funny because I really loved Jim Harbaugh as a player. Thought he was a passionate, nice guy. But watching him this year, I’ve been overwhelmed by two things. First, he’s an amazing coach. Just amazing. It’s rare that you see a team so completely turned around by the influence of one individual. And second, he’s a complete jackass–one of the most unlikeable people in the league. In fact, I’d rather spend an evening with Rex Ryan … as long as we were in a very public, well-chaperoned place … and I was wearing close-toed shoes.

Cohn has always written negatively about the 9ers. I can’t even stand to read more than 2 lines of his articles. He was on the bandwagon for a little while this year and wrote some nice things for a min but as soon as they lose one game he usually starts acting like someone pissed in his Cheerios.

Goes to show you what happens when you don’t wag your tail and roll over like a dog for the media. After a terrific year of coaching and turning around a dismal 49ers team, this is what they have to write about. And all these “tough” trash talking football fans call him a jerk. LOL

Guys like this who are thin skinned and immature don’t last. For example look at Rex and how he has fallen. Get ready Niner fans cause here comes the fall inevitable stories of Harbo not getting along w/Balke, players ripping him annoymously the fight w/a fan in the off season & the inevitable meltdown.

He is too prickly and immature. Sorry Niner fans he is a good coach but once a jerk always a jerk. For evidence look at the 2 penalties V davis got in Sundays Game. No matter how good he is he will always be a screw up. Or at TO behavior or Pacman Jones reent arrest or well u get the picture.

Suck it Lowell. I’ll take a million Harbaugh’s over a million Cohns any day of the year. Harbaugh doesn’t suffer fools or their stupid questions. How Mr. Cohn doesn’t get this after a season of doing such is the real story here out of this non-story. Yeah sure Harbaugh can learn to temper things a bit, he generally doesnt make same missteps twice. Lets remember, he’s a Rookie head coach. Mr. Cohn is a veteran reporter.

Everyone, including Harbaugh, in the room was laughing when this exchange took place. Except Cohn of course who was being an idiot, all the other reporters were laughing and Harbaugh was clearly joking around…don’t read the transcript and blog about it unprofessionally, actually watch the press conference.

Harbaugh inherited a LOADED team. Granted he was the guy that got all the talent rolling in the right direction (singletary was never worthy of a head coaching position) but to say that he did some high and mighty job to get one of the most talented teams in the NFL to the NFC championship game is a joke.

Oh geez. Lowell Cohn is the laughing stock of bay area sports media, and it’s atrocious that one of his attempts at psychoanalyzing Harbaugh (which is pretty much all he’s written on the 49ers this season) is being taken seriously here at PFT.

Anyone who has paid attention to Harbaugh’s press conferences this year knows the following about Harbaugh: He hates talking about himself, and would rather talk up his players and his assistant coaches. He is clearly uncomfortable with praise and always deflects the praise onto his players (whom he never publically insults, and he consistently refers to as “mighty men”) and his assistant coaches (he has praised all of his coordinators as head coaching material).

Meanwhile, Lowell Cohn keeps pressing Harbaugh with personal questions and doing crap like psychoanalyzing his grammar/wording. Harbaugh doesn’t give him what he wants, so he rants about how mean Harbaugh is to the media. One of those two men has the maturity of an 11 year old, and it’s not Jim Harbaugh.

Before Cohn worked for a Santa Rosa rag he was a columnist for the SF Chronicle (nice step up there, Lowell, bet your parents are proud), he got run out of town. The guy is a classless ass clown. Branch isn’t much better, but at least he can write in a fairly entertaining way, a talent that has eluded Cohn his entire career. I think that question kind of sinks to the level of asking someone ‘When did you stop beating your wife?’ It was a stupid question meant to get an emotional response. Harbaugh is not an idiot. He recognized the question for what it was and responded to it with all the respect it deserved. But ultimately, the real issue is whether or not Harbaugh is a good coach. I think turning a mediocre (at best) team into a Superbowl contender in one season and a coach who has the love and respect of his players pretty much answers that one. So Cohn and everyone else ought to just shut the hell up.

Actually, thinking about it, the question was more like the one posed to Michael Dukakis in that infamous debate many years ago. Something akin to ‘You oppose the death penalty. How would you feel if your wife were raped and murdered?’ If Dukakis answered that the way Harbaugh answered his, the world might be very different today.

Am I the only one who feels the 49ers benefited from not being hit too hard by the injury bug and a weak NFC West? Lose Smith, Davis, or Gore on Offense for a long period of time, and you lose chemistry. Willis was banged up a bit, but nothing major.

Its not just this incident that leaves many of us to question the long term viability of Harbo. First off he is obviously a very good coach. He took a team that was what 5-11 last year? He took basically the same talent and had them a play away from the SB. He is a good coach.

I don’t believe he will last cause he is a hard headed jerk. Now all coaches have a little jerk in em. Hell Coughlin almost had a few mutinities on his hands over the years. And Parcells, Belichik Jimmy Johnson, Walsh they all are hated at times by different players/media. Its just that Harbo is one of those guys who cause himself unnecessary grief cause he is a jerk as a human being. He was that way as a player & still is that way.

Remember that famous blow up Ditka had at him when Harbo was QBing the Bears? Do you know why that was? Cause Ditka specifically told him do not audible under any circumstances. He had no authority to audible..none. So what does Harbo do? He audibles throws an into and the Bears lose. Thats Harbo. He is a know it all. He always knows better than you. Its why his teamates hated him. Its also why with the exception of one flukey playoff run he was a washout as a QB. He is talented as a coach he will shoot himself in the foot. Guys ike him always do.

You have to be a jerk to be a good coach. You don’t have to be a jerk as a human being. Harbo is just a jerk . Sure the writer might have been goofy just play the question off and move on. Thats what smart coachees do. Not Harbo though no way. He has to prove he is smarter than you.

I live in NJ so I don’t know Lowell Cohn and I don’t see Harbo on a regular basis. However I followed his career as a QB & coach. Whether its Pete Carrol, Schwartz and read my post above about the Ditka incident its always something with Harbo.

Now Lowell Cohn may be acting like an 11 year old. I don’t know but Harbo has been an immature jerk is whole life. His teamates hated him, his peers hated him, and from what I gather most of the other coaches hate him now.

If I was a Niner fan I would be happy to have him as my coach. I would just be concerned that he is flawed and will shoot himself in the foot. Be smart don’t be a knee jerk defender of him. Remember everyone had Rex Ryan in Canton but now in his 3rd year his flaws are stating to show up on the field. Harbo may be the next Bill Walsh just be careful cause the NFL history is litered w-guys who looked great at first then flamed out in the end.

Cohn mat have been wrong but 2 wrongs don’t make a right. Harbo is wrong to.

but to say that he did some high and mighty job to get one of the most talented teams in the NFL to the NFC championship game is a joke.
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He got Alex Smith to believe in himself, and PUNK a Saint team that was steamrolling to a Super Bowl.

For that turnaround, alone, he is the unanimous Coach of the Year. No one, absolutely no one saw that TD with 14 seconds coming to beat N.O.

NO ONE.

had Rex Ryan did the same with Sanchez they might have 2 SB trophies…. a lot of times it just takes the right approach.

How many people have met Jim Harbaugh and actually spent time with him?

That many people should be making declarations about his character. (Looking at you Deb.)

I haven’t heard Harbaugh guarantee any victories, I haven’t heard Harbaugh place blame on his players, I haven’t heard Harbaugh say anything negative about any fans, and I haven’t seen Harbaugh say anything negative about another team’s players.

He’s no Tony Dungy, but I’ll take that over Ryan guaranteeing a Super Bowl, or Tomlin (who I like a lot as a coach) saying he’s going to unleash hell, or Hue Jackson throwing his players under the bus.

If you think your coach can get a team to the NFC Championship game in overtime with Alex Smith, than you must have a hell of a coach. Otherwise, I’m going to assume that you’re a biased fan who is just looking to undermine another team’s success because it’s not your own.

That was not a knee-jerk defense of Harbaugh on my part. I’ve been paying attention to his press conferences and to the prominent 49ers beat writers all year. They all acknowledge that Harbaugh is very tight-lipped about scheme and injuries, hates talking about himself, and he’s particularly adept at avoiding saying anything that could be construed as critical of his players (something his players seem to love him for, BTW). Some of the beat writers can get a little frustrated by the lack of great soundbytes they get from him, but only Lowell Cohn has taken it to the point of flaming him for it. And that’s why it’s frustrating to see this posted here on PFT as “Jim Harbaugh takes some heat in San Francisco.” There is no heat on Jim Harbaugh, there is only Lowell Cohn, a sad little man who wants nothing more than to psychoanalyze the hell out of Jim Harbaugh and is endlessly frustrated that Harbaugh wants to talk about football and his players instead of his feelings and personal life.

Maybe you’ll see it like Cohn does and write it off as Harbaugh being a jerk. What I see is Harbaugh legitimately not wanting to talk about it and attempting to deflect the question with light-hearted humor. If that and an excited back-slap for Jim Schwartz are the worst things being done by the coach that brought my team from a decade of losing to 13-3 and an overtime NFC Championship appearance in one year, while successfully cultivating a team-first mentality among his players, then I’ll gladly take it.

You’re taking this too seriously. I didn’t accuse him of being an evil, malicious person–just said he comes across as a jackass. We all form opinions of people in the game from watching their interactions in press conferences, interviews, and on the field. He’s not the only guy in the league that leaves that impression. I’ve felt that way about guys on my own team. But this article happened to be about Jim Harbaugh, so I voiced my opinion.

Personally, I find it all pretty entertaining. But the only relevant issue for 49ers fans is that–as I said–he seems to be an amazing coach and well-deserving of COY honors. So the 9ers should be contending for the foreseeable future. I like their style of ball and look forward to watching.

Silly non-story. As others have said, if you’ve paid attention to Harbaugh’s press conferences all year long, this is how he’s consistently been. It’s nothing new. He’s at best terse, at worst combative. The only people he really is looking out for are his players, and they appreciate it tremendously. As a fan, that’s all I really care about too — certainly not at all about whether or not the media gets their feelings hurt.

All of you leveling accusations at Harbaugh and his brother about being —holes and other things are interesting. Do any of you commenting know them? Do you know Jim? Is he your neighbor? Have you ever interacted with him personally on any level? I’m guessing no. Who’s the bigger —hole? Someone who sits anonymously on a computer labeling others or someone who evades irrelevant questions, shaking a coaches hand too hard after said coach derisively told him to learn the —king rules, has expressions on his face during games or complains about calls he doesn’t agree with? He’s an intense guy. That’s him.

Yes some of the questions are really stupid but god you get paid zillions of dollars and you can’t take 10-15 minutes and answer these questions. The reporters have a job and there are so many of them at these media times that there are only so many good questions to ask. Cohn just wanted to know what he did after the tough loss……did he cry….did he start thinking about next year….did he just spend time with his family since he is gone so much…or did he whine to his brother who had a tougher loss. Haubaugh is sounding alot like Belichik….a reall jerk. Coaches you get paid to answer the good and stupid questions….just like the players.

I don’t get why Californians would be upset about Harbaugh’s comments. Are they that untrue? Is it even offensive? A lot of west coast people, maybe more southern cali are into way much therapy and exploring their feelings. It can be a good thing, its not like he said Californians are all wimps or something. If an east coast coach made a crack about New yorkers being grumpy they wouldn’t be offended either. It’s teasing something that’s true, but not all that negative. You’re so sensitive. Must be a california thing…

“He’s a jerk. Plain and simple.” -megatronownsyou
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Not to his players he’s not. You’re just upset that his handshake sent your coach on a downward spiral of self doubt and a wicked losing streak.

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steelerfanjo says:
Jan 24, 2012 11:45 AM
He is a jerk – always has been. every time Fox showed him Sunday he was crying to the officials like the baby he is. His handshake with Coughlin showed what a classless turd he is. Harbaugh is a a baby. He comes from Michigan where he played under cybaby and cheater in Bo Schembechler! Kleenex should sponsors the Niners.